Advances in computing power and communications technologies have increased the availability and enjoyment of location-based computer gaming experiences. As an example, a location-based massively multiplayer parallel reality game can allow players to participate in the game by moving about in the real world while possessing a client device. The client device can be used to determine the position of the player. The player's location and actions in the real world can impact a parallel virtual game world.
Cheating in any game is a major problem that can destroy the game's enjoyment or appeal for players, and location-based games are not an exception to this rule. In particular, “honest” players that do not engage in cheating can be put at a disadvantage with respect to players who have cheated and gained some illicit advantage. The honest players put at a disadvantage can easily become disenfranchised and discontinue game participation, causing the game to lose a critical mass of player support.
As an example of cheating behavior in a location-based game, two individuals using two different client devices at two different locations may login to a single player account in an alternating fashion, thereby allowing the parallel game character to skip between two locations and gain an illegal advantage.
As another example, a player can engage in location spoofing tactics to tamper with or alter a location signal provided by her client device, thereby falsely convincing a host computing system that she is at various locations and gaining an illicit advantage.
As yet another example, certain location-based games can be designed to encourage players to go out, walk around, and discover their surroundings in a more intimate, educational fashion. However, players wanting to obtain points or achieve game objectives at an escalated pace may use a car or other modes of transportation to quickly move between locations, in effect disregarding or abusing unwritten or loosely enforced game rules concerning style of gameplay.
Thus, a problem faced by a game developer or game host is to have sufficient cheat detection and prevention procedures for enforcing rules or guidelines in a location-based game.